New Mexico: Land of Enchantment

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Where are we? The Land of Enchantment. But might we suggest a new nickname for New Mexico -- the Outer Space State. Roswell, N.M., known throughout the world for a mysterious UFO encounter in 1947 (more on that later), is located in this scenic state. Plus, Virgin Galactic, the first tourism company to send ordinary citizens into space -- for a hefty chunk of change, of course -- is located in Upham, N.M.

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A Pueblo community in New Mexico

Sterling Grant 3/Courtesy of the City of Roswell, NM

A streetlight reflects the fascination with aliens in Roswell.

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A tasty banquet in New Mexico.

New Mexico history: In the early 1540s, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was hunting for gold and traveled throughout what is now New Mexico searching for the precious treasure. It wasn't until 1598, though, that the first Spanish establishment was formed near the Rio Grande River by Juan de Onate. By 1610, the capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe, was founded. After the Mexico War in 1848, the United States received most of the land in New Mexico and got the rest in the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. Conflicts between the Native American nations and the U.S. continued to wage on for years but, when Geronimo surrendered in 1886, the Apache Wars and most of the other battles ended in the area. Today, New Mexico is one of the foremost researchers into nuclear, solar and geothermal energy.

New Mexico on the course: Almost every golf course in New Mexico has stunning views of lush forests and majestic peaks. But you aren't here just to take in the scenery -- the course must be a challenge, right? For a course that combines the beautiful with the brutal, try The Links at Sierra Blanca. It's a Scottish-style links course in Ruidoso, N.M., that was designed by Champions Tour pro Jim Colbert. Golf Digest has featured it on several of their lists -- including top-10 courses to play in New Mexico and Places to play in the United States -- and it offers a difficult test for skilled players but also a fair one for even a beginning golfer.

New Mexico off the course: In the intro, I promised to explain that whole alien encounter but frankly, no one can explain it. On July 7, 1947, the Roswell Army Air Field reported that they had recovered a "flying disc" that had crashed on a ranch. Within a few hours, the report was changed to a "weather balloon" recovery and that appeared to be the end of it. Then, about 30 years later, military members and additional witnesses began discussing their thoughts on the incident. Many thought that the whole thing was a cover-up and that a UFO or aliens had actually had crashed near Roswell. Whatever the "thing" was, it has piqued curiosity throughout the world and has spawned several movies and even a hit television show. Right now the city of Roswell is celebrating the 61st anniversary of the incident with a four-day festival in the town (click here to learn more). From July 3-6, people will hit the streets for a weekend packed chock full of activities, including everything from children's UFO shows at the Planetarium to alien experts as guest speakers to a costume parade. There's so much to do, your head will spin just trying to take it all in. Well, you better hope it's your head that's doing the spinning and not the guy's next to you -- you never know what kind of creatures you are going to run into in Roswell!

New Mexico resort: You won't be bored at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, that's for sure. But you better hope the golfing gods and gambling gods bring you plenty of luck at this gorgeous resort and casino. Their motto is "Always in Season", which is definitely the case -- you can ski in the winter, play on one of their championship golf courses (ranked No. 23 by Golf Digest of the "Top 40 Casino Golf Courses") in the summer, go on big game hunting expeditions, catch a big-name musician in concert at the Inn and stuff yourself silly at one of four uniquely New Mexican restaurants on property. And, of course, any time of year is a good time to win or lose money at the casino.

New Mexico eats: What makes food in New Mexico different from, say, food in Texas or the country of Mexico? For starters, New Mexican cuisine incorporates green chilies into its dishes more than its neighbors to the south. And, when we say green chilies, they aren't just added to burritos and enchiladas -- you'll find it on cheeseburgers, pizza and even bagels. One tasty treat on a cold New Mexican night is caldillo, a soup made with meat (usually beef or pork), potatoes, and green chiles. Also, when preparing a traditional New Mexico dish, go heavy on the cilantro, light on the cumin.

New Mexico culture: New Mexico, a state with about 1.8 million residents, has a rich Native American heritage as well as a large Hispanic and Anglo population. It's the fifth-biggest state in terms of landmass in the U.S., but 30 percent of the residents are centered in Albuquerque (the largest city) or Santa Fe. Native Americans live on four major reservations and 19 Pueblo communities in the state. The art, music and jewelry created in the state are uniquely New Mexican, with a blend of the many diverse cultures and peoples that make up this Southwestern state.

New Mexico golfer: You probably know him best as Tiger Woods' teammate at Stanford University but did you also know that Notah Begay III is the only full-blooded American Indian in the history of the PGA TOUR? Begay, who is half Navajo, one-quarter San Felipe and one-quarter Isleta, was born and raised in Albuquerque. As a young boy --Begay began playing at age eight -- he would save his spare change during the summer for a bucket of range balls until he finally asked the head pro at his home course, Ladera Golf Course, if he could work at the venue in exchange for playing privileges. All of that practice and hard work paid off. After earning All-America honors at Stanford three times, Begay won four times on the PGA TOUR between 1999 and 2000. He has since split time between the Nationwide Tour, PGA TOUR and European Tour and had back problems that plagued him in '04 and '05.